President Yoon Suk Yeol and visiting Italian President Sergio Mattarella are holding talks in Seoul on Wednesday.

Following a grand welcoming ceremony on the presidential office lawn, Yoon and Mattarella began their bilateral talks, during which the two sides are expected to discuss ways to cooperate in various sectors, including the economy, space, science and technology, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Following the summit, Yoon and Mattarella are scheduled to hold a joint news conference to introduce their agreements.  

The meeting comes as South Korea's southern port city of Busan and the Italian capital city of Rome are competing for the right to host the 2030 World Expo along with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 
  
Mattarella is on a three-day state visit to South Korea at Yoon's invitation as the two nations are set to celebrate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.